24hr of Lemons

InDaShop · Mar 10, 2012

Myself and a group of my buddies (all offroad guys) here in Houston got together and built a LeMons car for this 24 hour of Lemons racing. None of us have ever road raced, but the price was right and there are events all year long and three that are close to us.

We did not make all that wise of a descion in vehicles. 1997 Jeep Cherokee. We converted it to 2wd lowered it and went racing. Aerodynamics of a barndoor , handles like a brick on wheels, but makes up for everything with low down out of the hole 4.0l torque. We realized even as bad as everyone thinks it is, its one of the faster cars out there it just has to work hard on the ragged edge to keep pace with the BMW's and Benz's.

About a month ago we did our first race at Texas World Speedway near College Station, Texas. The Format was 7.5hrs on Saturday, and 7 hours on Sunday. We raced the whole time, had zero mechanical issues (well swapped the powersteering pump overnight just to be safe). We put 809miles on between the Green & the Checker, 9 spin outs, and 5 blackflags. I'm not 100% sure of where that put us in the standings but we took home the covented Organizers Choice award.

I'll say I didnt have high expectations for LeMons, it just didnt really interest me but since my friends were in, I just went along. Damn I am glad I did. I cant begin to tell you guys how much fun this was. It was full size go-karts and since it wasnt like its your daily driver you really didnt care.

Here's some vid editted together of some of the action. BTW I'm the idiot who loops it on pitroad before the race even starts, I claim fresh cold wet tires and I'm sticking to it, or it was on purpose you pick
!
TGTWoffroad Racing.m4v

5BrothersFabrication · Mar 10, 2012

I have always wanted to run a Lemons race, with something out of the ordinary like you guys did. On a side note, that go pro shot at the 11:05-ish mark is amazing. Here in East Tennessee we can't see more than a mile or two to even catch a real sunset like that! Breathtaking!

lowbudgetjunk · Mar 10, 2012

I now have a new goal :woot:

Looks like it was a blast.....how many total folks went with you?

InDaShop · Mar 10, 2012

lowbudgetjunk said:
I now have a new goal

Looks like it was a blast.....how many total folks went with you?

There is 6 of us. So splitting the costs of the build and to race six ways was way nice. They allow for a minimum of 4 drivers at an event, and I kind of wished we'd only gone in 4th's but that would really screw us up at the actuall 24 hour races. We are doing one of those over Memorial Day. Saturday 3pm to Sunday 3pm!!!

payne97 · Mar 11, 2012

That great u need 2 send some info 2 the people at JP they would LOVE this stuff
flashemifyougotem

InDaShop · Mar 11, 2012

payne97 said:
That great u need 2 send some info 2 the people at JP they would LOVE this stuff

I wish I could say we are just that good to make a Cherocar go fast and handle this well out of the box....but we're not. There is some guys on the west coast (washington state) Team Petty Cash Racing, Matt Adair that did all the trail and error on their Cherokee and about 10 races. We verbatum stole their recipe, with their support of course. And we'll decide after Memorial Day if we are going to go up to Wisconsin, team up with Matt Adair and race at Road America in August. That track is road racing in the US's top of the food chain.

Neal3000 · Mar 11, 2012

Thats fawking AWEsome!

InDaShop · Mar 11, 2012

On the book of faces
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/TGTW-Offroad/290534901000710

miles4areason · Mar 12, 2012

BADASS looks like a gooood time!! :driving:

lowbudgetjunk · Mar 12, 2012

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/TGTW-Offroad/290534901000710

Fixed

Bones · Mar 12, 2012

That looks like a lot of fun. If you make it to WI, let me know. That's only 4-5 hours from me I think

InDaShop · Mar 12, 2012

Bones said:
That looks like a lot of fun. If you make it to WI, let me know. That's only 4-5 hours from me I think

Its Elkhart Lake, WI www.roadamerica.com/

If we do it, I'll pick you up on the way as I'll be coming from Bonneville to make it. Have the saltcar and everything with me. At that point what a couple hundy out of the way when I'm already 1000 miles out of the way???

I'm pretty sure we are going to race it if they accept our application, but we agreed not to decide until after the Eagle Canyon true 24hours straight of racing event over Memorial Day. There are limited spots so hope we get accepted. Then 5 of us are pretty much committed, the 6th just cant due to something. The killer is its a Monday-Tuesday event on the coattales of a true Le Mons event going on at Road America. The allure and opportunity to race at Road America is just too much for any of us to pass up. And for me whats three more days of vacation when I'll already be off for 2 weeks????

B Gillespie · Mar 12, 2012

InDaShop said:
And for me whats three more days of vacation when I'll already be off for 2 weeks????

Let me know what the exact dates are so I can strategically send my resume for your position.

Bones · Mar 12, 2012

You will be going right by my house....no ****. Other than the trip back to Houston which you are not touching Iowa. Depending on the date, I might be on my bike trip which is slated to go around the great lakes and into Canada, but could make this work.

InDaShop · Mar 12, 2012

Bones said:
You will be going right by my house....no ****. Other than the trip back to Houston which you are not touching Iowa. Depending on the date, I might be on my bike trip which is slated to go around the great lakes and into Canada, but could make this work.

Yep August 20-21, we wont know if they accepted our entry until late June. I could swing by pick you up and figure out a way to load a bike in my trailer and you ride up with me, ride your bike home from there... I have no idea how we get a bike into my trailer, but we're resourceful enough.

Bones · Mar 12, 2012

Yeah....the two of use can surely accomplish that laughing1 Dumb n Dumber was made around our lives....

InDaShop · Mar 12, 2012

Bones said:
Yeah....the two of use can surely accomplish that laughing1 Dumb n Dumber was made around our lives....

yeah last time I road tripped with you, I went to the ER and then you made me $7k by hitting a Canadian Farmer :driving:

ridered3 · Mar 13, 2012

It made me laugh when y'all spun out at the beginning of the race! I was quite impressed by the jeep.

Bones · Mar 13, 2012

InDaShop said:
yeah last time I road tripped with you, I went to the ER and then you made me $7k by hitting a Canadian Farmer

laughing1 laughing1

InDaShop · Mar 15, 2012

I got some questions on costs of Lemons.

Each event is $500 for the entry, plus $100/driver, plus $50 for a transponder.

So for this Memorial Day race its Sat 3pm to Sun 3pm, there are 6 of us on our team. So basically each of us is paying $192 in entry fees for 4 hours of seat time.